Graham Aker
is a fictional character of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. In the series, Graham is one of the main antagonists and the main rival to Setsuna F. Seiei. In Season 1, Graham is the ace pilot for the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, who later became the Captain of the OverFlags Squadron fighting against the Gundams and Celestial Being, piloting the SVMS-01E Union Flag Graham Aker Custom and later the SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II. He later returns in Season 2 as Mister Bushido, an independent Licensed Captain working for the Earth Sphere Federation's Autonomous Peace-Keeping Force (A-Laws), piloting the GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake and later the Flag derived GNX-U02X Masurao and GNX-Y901TW Susanowo. In A wakening of the Trailblazer, Graham leads the Sol Brave Squadron and pilots the GNX-903VW Brave (Commander Test Type) Personality & Character Graham overall is a career soldier, always looking for the next challenge. He's fearless, confident, prideful, stubborn, honorable, a romantic, and later a devout believer in Bushido (ancient Japanese samurai philosophy and martial arts). Being one of the best MS pilots on Earth, he became bored with life as there was little to challenge his talents. After the appearance of Celestial Being and squaring off with the Gundams, he self-admitted that their appearance gave him a reason to live again and it became his obsession to defeat Celestial Being with the pride of a Flag Fighter. As such, he stubbornly piloted all Flag mobile suits without considering the GN-X series. It was only after the Flag became obsolete that he relented to piloting a GN-X, GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake. After the events of AD 2307 (Season 1), Graham never completely recovered mentally and physically from his encounters with CB, especially with Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei. He treated his previous battles as a defeat and can only find a personal sense of closure by defeating CB. Graham studied the ways of Bushido to further develop himself as a warrior (influenced by Homer Katagiri). He then wore an old samurai mask to cover the scarred tissue over his face as a constant reminder of his defeat so that he may draw strength from it in battle. By AD 2312, (Season 2), he was a licensed ESF soldier under the alias, Mr. Bushido. He was granted complete autonomy over any mission he chose. Because his only interest was in Setsuna/00, he often stayed at a distance until he eventually challenged Setsuna to settle his personal score to restore his honor. Graham wanted to die in glorious battle, but Setsuna denied him the satisfaction, instead telling Graham to let go of the past and fight for the future. That battle resulted in Graham putting aside his past transgressions and returning to his old self. By AD 2314, Graham discarded his mask and Mr. Bushido identity. He had let go of his grudges against the Gundams and realized his misguided obsession was wrong. He returned to the ESF Army as a more confident leader, now more willing to work with a team. Graham was given command of the new Sol Brave Squadron. Graham now understands the importance of mutual understanding and the need to live for the future. Skills & Abilities Graham has the apparently unique quirk of customizing all of his mobile suits to be "left-handed" (mounting a shield, if so equipped, on the right arm and carrying the main weapon with the left), because he is left-handed himself. Graham is a notably good pilot who has made several accomplishments throughout the series. Graham learned how pilot the YMS-01A Union Flag at a young age and was the first person to master the mid-air transformation in a mobile suit without '' reading the manual. This coined the phrase ''Graham Special, referring to this maneuver. Although Graham is a good shot in a mobile suit, his forte is high speed melee mobile suit combat. He is known for being able to fight formidably against GN mobile suits. Graham's incredible piloting ability is evident by managing to survive and endure his engagements with the Gundams. Graham is also one of the few pilots who does not like to use a GN Field for defensive purposes. By A.D. 2314, Graham had sharpened his skills even further to where he could perform the Graham Special while flying at high speeds and in zero-G environments. History Early Days Graham Aker was born on September 10, 2280 AD. According to one of 00 CD Dramas, Graham grew up as an orphan who had a fascination for flying the skies. Following his passion, Graham enlisted in the Union Army to become a pilot. In AD 2302, Warrant Officer Graham Aker was transferred into Union USA 3rd Air Force Team and was put under the command of “living legend” Sleg Sletcher. Due to his confidence and cleverness, Graham was able to catch the attention of the superior officer, and the two quickly became close friends. At one point, Sleg even offered Graham to take his daughter’s hand in marriage, but Graham gracefully declined. During their trainings, Graham was not able to defeat Sleg in stimulated battles. Two years later, Second Lieutenant Graham was appointed as the test pilot of the Iris Corporation’s prototype YMS-01A Union Flag. He awed the developers, Billy Katagiri and Ralph Eifman, for having pulled off a mid-air transformation without reading the manual; the maneuver was dubbed “Graham Special” and “Graham Maneuver” due to this feat. He later learned that his former mentor, Sleg Sletcher, was piloting the rival suit for the Union’s mainstay, the Belfactory’s YMS-02 Union Blast. Graham wanted to know why Sleg has suddenly decided to pilot a mobile suit after not having piloted for a long time, but the former mentor didn’t provide a straight answer. It was only later that he learned that his mentor accepted Belfactory’s offer to pay for his daughter’s medical expenses. During the competition between the two units, Sleg, knowing the superiority of the Flag, attempted a suicide attack to take it down. However, Graham pulled off a mid-air transformation and cut off one of Blast’s wings. The Union Blast crashed as a result, killing Sleg in the process. The Flag won the competition as the Union’s new mainstay, while Graham was promoted as First Lieutenant. As a tribute to his fallen mentor, Graham added elements from Sleg’s coat of arms to his. Rumors of Graham intentionally killing his superior became a sensation among the soldiers, but Graham brushes off the allegations. He was reinstated in MSWΛD (Mobile Suit Warehouse and Development) and became one of their ace pilots. Debut of Celestial Being In AD 2307, Graham went to AEU African Military Base to see the demonstration of the AEU's new mobile suit, the AEU-09 AEU Enact, that was attended by various politicians and military dignitaries. There he joined his close colleague, MSWAD Tech Advisor Billy Katagiri, in watching the AEU's first solar-powered unit show off its capabilities. Billy commented to Graham how the unit was a complete rip-off of their SVMS-01 Union Flag. During the demonstration, a mysterious mobile suit suddenly appeared from the sky to the testing ground. At first glance, Graham quickly noticed the strange green light coming out of the unit. The new Enact quickly engaged the intruder in battle, but was easily mutilated and defeated. Graham was so impressed by the intruder's capabilities that he immediately grabbed hold of a stranger's binoculars to examine it fully. And there he saw it; GUNDAM, the name etched on the forehead of the mobile suit. After the Gundam had left and the AEU's demonstration cut short by the incident, Graham and Billy talked in their SUV about the Gundam and the AEU's possible response. AEU's retaliation using mobile suits from Orbital Elevator confirmed suspicions that they have excessive mobile suits stationed there than what the treaties permitted. Graham concluded that the Gundam's appearance was a check and a warning against AEU's military expansion. Later that night, they learned about the organization claiming to possess the Gundams. Celestial Being's founder Aeolia Schenberg announced to the world about their goal of eradicating war off the planet using the mobile weapon Gundams. As Graham drives through the darkness, he laughed at Celestial Being's hypocrisy. Despite this, he was completely mesmerized by the Gundam's mysterious and overwhelming power. Graham and Billy was later called back to report to headquarters about what they had witness at the AEU Military Testing Grounds. Detour to Ceylon As Graham and Billy flew back to Union territory, military reports came in about the Celestial Being's impending attack on Ceylon. The two talk about the conflict which has been happening in the region for centuries and how HRL's intervention had made the situation worse, plunging it to a state of anarchy. With the Gundams appearing in the conflict, Graham asked the captain of the ship to make an altered course for Ceylon and had his Flag prepped for launch. Billy was shocked as Graham was preparing to face a Gundam. Graham sighted the lone blue Gundam after its mission from Ceylon and immediately transformed his Flag mid-air to confront it. Upon meeting, the two units were immediately locked into sword confrontation. Graham introduced himself to the Gundam pilot, He tried to overpower the Gundam, but it was able to push back the Flag. The Gundam swung its big GN Sword again to hack on the Flag, but Graham was able to dodge it. Flanking the Gundam, Graham decided to rip-off one of the Gundam's arms. However, it simply shoved off his Flag once again. Taking a distance from the Gundam, Graham then attempted to shoot it down, but Gundam Exia dodged all the attacks and chopped down his rifle with a beam saber, much to Graham's surprise. With most of his armaments destroyed, Graham begrudgingly decided to retreat, leaving the Gundam unscathed. Back in the carrier, Graham expressed his remorse for losing his Flag's armaments, but Billy consoled him that the data they got from the Gundam were more than enough to make up for it. Graham also added how surprised he was to learn that the Gundam pilot was so young; the pilot seemed to express his emotions though the movements of his Gundam. Just then, the captain of the carrier reported that they had lost sight of the Gundam. With that, they continued their way to the MSWAD headquarters. Anti-Celestial Being Campaign At the Union MSWAD headquarters, Graham and Billy had a meeting with their commander and reported everything that had transpired during the Enact's demonstration. Billy suggested that it was worth their time to research about the Gundams. The commander agreed and handed to both Graham and Billy their new orders; since both of them had seen the Gundams, they were both transferred to an Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force. Its formal name was yet to be decided, but with Professor Ralph Eifman as Head technologist, the commander knew how important this newly formed team actually is. Both Graham and Billy accepted the transfers. As the two walked through the hallways, Billy asked if Graham had anticipated this to happen. Graham admitted he did not, but felt that fate was at work with the events that were unfolding. Custom Flag Upgrade & Taribia In one of the MSWAD hangars, Graham joined Billy in examining the data from his Flag pertaining its recent battle with the Gundam. They found out that the Gundam has six times the output of that of the Flag. Graham could not believe that despite the output, the Gundam was still so agile. The two hypothesized that the suit's performance is controlled by its mysterious particles. Just then, Professor Ralph Eifman joined in in their conversation and added that the particles might have also been used in its weaponry. He marveled Aeolia Schenberg for having developed something so advanced and suggested to capture a Gundam if possible. Graham agreed and, for that purpose, proposed for his Flag to be modified. Professor Eifman inquired about the pilot's safety, which Graham disregarded. Graham asked for the work to be done in a week; he wanted to be as aggressive as possible. At that same time, Graham received a call about a Gundam bombing a large plantation of narcotics in Taribia and prepared to move out, but he was stopped by Prof. Eifman, who supported the Gundam's action. Later, Graham received his upgraded Flag unit, the SVMS-01E Union Flag Graham Aker Custom. In addition, they were joined in the task force by Warrant Officer Howard Mason and Master Sergeant Daryl Dodge, who were both transferred via Graham's recommendation. Around this time also, Taribia announced its intentions of seceding from the Union and claiming independent access to the solar energy generating system. With the Union orbital elevator in its close proximity, tensions rose between Taribia and the Union. Graham and his team were immediately put on standby in case Celestial Being intervened. Graham viewed this as an opportunity to test his new Flag. As the Gundams arrived on the main cities in Taribia, they started attacking the Taribian mobile suit forces; they viewed Taribia's decision as a source of conflict. With the devastating turn of events, Taribia withdrew its decision and asked the Union to protect their forces from the Gundams' attacks. Union immediately responded with a counteroffensive. Graham happily obliged the orders as he chased after GN-001 Gundam Exia, which was then withdrawing to the Pacific. He caught up using the Flag's high speed and scattered shots, and transformed mid-air to engage the Gundam in close combat. The two mobile suits exchanged shots, which ultimately led up to Graham being the victor of the duel. Thrown off-balanced by the Flag's linear shot, the Exia plunged into the ocean and withdrew from the battle. The new Flag managed to stand against the Gundam, but Graham gave up pursuit, handing it over to the newly discovered underwater capabilities of the Gundams. AEU & HRL Gundam Capture Attempts In the midst of Celestial Being operations, the Republic of Moralia and the AEU formally announced a joint military exercise to strengthen their ties. Upon the news, Graham and Billy speculated that, aside from the needed benefits of the alliance, it was all done in an attempt to lure and capture the Gundams. The Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force monitored the situation during the day of the exercise. With two of Gundams carrying new equipments, Graham thought that Celestial Being was being serious this time. The conflict lasted for less than 5 hours, ending with the AEU/Moralia alliance surrendering unconditionally. Despite the lost, Billy talked about how this will only strengthen the support for AEU's military expansion. Graham shared his opinion that Celestial Being might be waking the path to their own destruction, which Prof. Eifman agreed. After the Moralian operation, a terrorist group, La Edenra, launched simultaneous attacks around the globe, seeking the disarmament of Celestial Being. Feeling restless by the turn of events, Graham launched with his Flag to search for any signs leading to La Edenra; he was accompanied by Howard and Daryl. They didn't to get any leads, but Celestial Being later was able to locate La Edenra's secret bases and dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist organization. Months later, news of a failed Gundam capture attempt, which had been executed by the HRL, reached the Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force. With the operation costing HRL more than 20 of their Tierens, Howard and Daryl were blown away by the Gundams' overwhelming power. However, Graham reminded them that power isn't the only thing that determines the winner in a fight. Azadistan Civil War With the impending civil war in the Kingdom of Azadistan, following the abduction of conservative leader, Rasa Massoud Rachmadi, the Union decided to send military aid to provide order and ease the tension in the country. The Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force was one of the mobile suit squadrons sent; Graham and his fellow Flag pilots hoped to encounter a Gundam during the conflict. During the night patrol, Graham and his team noticed a fighting at the Solar Power Receiver Antenna Facility. They could not tell which side belongs to the traitors; ground mobile suits belonging to the Azadistan army were fighting amongst themselves. A Gundam from afar intervened to attack the ground forces on the scene. Then suddenly, adding to the confusion, a cluster of missiles were launched from elsewhere, destroying the antenna facility. Graham immediately ordered Howard and Daryl to pursue the culprit who launched the missiles. He focused his sights on fighting the Gundam Dynames. Dynames fired at Graham's Flag as the latter approached. Graham dodged the first shot through "Graham Special" maneuver and responded with a barrage from his linear rifle. Unscathed, Dynames continued shooting with its sniper rifle. Graham kept his persistence, maneuvering and dodging his way towards the Gundam. Within close combat range, Graham's Flag kicked Dynames and followed through with an attempt slash using its plasma sword. Dynames responded with a block using its beam sabers; Graham grew ecstatic with the clash of the two machines. However, Dynames then drew out its beam pistol, prompting Graham to pull back and block its shots with the defense rod. Furious about the damage on his Flag, Graham rushed towards the Gundam. Just then, an emergency call came alerting the Union forces about the coup d'état forces heading towards the Azadistan capital. Graham's Flag and the Gundam Dynames were locked into a stand-off for a while until Graham finally decided to retreat from the battle and head to the capital with his Flag squadron. While checking the scene the next day with Billy, Graham noticed a young boy hiding behind the rocks. The boy claimed to be just curious, but Graham was suspicious and asked him about his opinions about Azadistan's political situation and let slip about a Moralian Enact that fired the missiles. Billy asked him why he revealed that; Graham said he doesn't even know, implying he knew the boy is Celestial Being. After Exia rescued Rachmadi from Ali-Al Saachez, and Celestial Being announces they will return him to the Azadistan palace, with Exia completely unarmed. The Gundam marched heedlessly into the palace grounds, delivering Rachmadi to Princess Marina Ismail and then retreated as the Flag Fighters observed from a distance The other Flag Fighters were adamant to go after Exia but Graham said if they did that, then the world would see them as villains. Operation G The three superpowers soon had formed a secret coalition to do a joint training exercise in the Taklamakan Desert, which was really a plan to lure the Gundams and capture them. Graham is then promoted to the rank of Captain, with new transfers being added to the OverFlag Squadron, now officially called the "OverFlags", and publicly known as the the ''United States Of America 8th Independent Tactical Aviation Corps. One of the transfers, Joshua Edwards, didn't think highly of Graham's skills due to Grahams past history involving a commander's death and his promotion during that time. During the battle in the desert, Graham lead his squadron against Dynames. Joshua instead rushed into the fray, performing the Graham Special on his own but got destroyed by the Gundam. Eventually, the Flag Fighters wore Dynames down and captured it, only for many of their squadron to be shot at long range by Johann Trinity/GNW-001 Gundam Throne Eins. With these sudden losses, Graham had to order a retreat. Eventually, two more Gundams appeared and rescued Exia, Kyrios, and Virtue, forcing the three superpowers into a retreat Trinity MSWΛD Attack & Flag Fighter Oath After the sudden appearance of 3 additional Gundams, the world forces were severely weakened and the anti-Gundam squadron had yet to effectively combat the additional threat. The Throne Gundams attacked MSWΛD and Graham's squadron arrived to assist/defend the base. Billy informed Graham of Prof Eifman's demise and it infuriated Graham to go on the offensive. Graham's squadron attempted to take out Gundam Throne Zwei, but it resulted in the death of Howard Mason. Seeing how their forces couldn't take out a single unit, Graham had to pull back his squad. In frustration with their multiple losses, Graham asked, "How many times must you drag my face through the mud!?" After the attack on MSWΛD, Graham and Daryl visit Howard's grave. In the silence, Daryl remarked, "We were able to fly in the sky along with you Captain." ''While kneeling, Graham smirked and said, Vs Throne Eins While stationed at MSWΛD, he went to check the MS hanger and found Billy tuning his OverFlag. He thought it wasn't wise for Billy to work with such injuries, but Billy was adamant about his reasons for staying. Graham let him off and stayed around to talk with him. Billy thinks that the attack on MSWAD was no regular intervention, but a ploy to assassinate Prof Eifman over his investigation on Celestial Being. It was then an alarm went off to signal a Gundam attack. Gundam Throne Eins is attacking Iris Corporation's arms factory nearby and Graham scrambled to intercept Eins. Johann/Eins fired the beam rifle at Graham, but missed as the latter performed the ''Graham Special and clashed swords with Eins. During this time, Graham yelled, "No matter how much our units' abilities differ, today, I surpass even Asura!" '' Graham/OverFlag then pushed Eins away and drew both sonic swords and clashed again with Eins. The force of two swords on one forced Eins to relinquish his beam saber. Graham quickly grabbed Eins' beam saber and used it to cut off Eins' right arm. Graham couldn't get his revenge as Eins retreated. As he frustrated over the limit of his vengeance for his fallen comrades, he coughed blood as the inertia and g-forces he used to engage Eins resulted internal injuries. Graham kept the GN Beam Saber and gave it to Billy in hopes it would give clues to GN Tech. While checking on Billy's progress over the beam saber, he told Graham that he discontinued the investigation and turned his focus on GN Drive and GN mobile suit development. Graham learned about the procurement of GN Tech from a Celestial Being traitor and that the Union has 10 GN Drive Tau at their disposal. After the formation of UN Forces and the deployment of GN-X's, he didn't want any part of the GN-X squadron. Graham wishes to honor Howard Mason's death with the pride of a Flag fighter pilot. Operation Fallen Angels The Union, AEU, and HRL had been brought down to their knees as they no longer had the power to defend against Celestial Being. The world powers reluctantly considered the idea of surrendering to CB. With the stroke of fortune, a CB traitor, Laguna Harvey, contacted the 3 world powers to collect 30 GN Drives in Antarctica, along with new MSs, the GNX-603T GN-X. With these new MSs in their hands, the world governments united their military might as the UN Forces. They later publically declared their united objective of taking down Celestial Being. They called this plan ''Operation Fallen Angels. Flag Retrofit During the initial offensives between the UN Forces and CB, Graham remained at MSWAD for a GN Drive Tau to be retrofitted into his Custom Flag. Despite Daryl's objections for Graham to use an obsolete MS, Graham was committed to keeping his promise. Eventually Billy completed the necessary adjustments and reformatted it into the SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II. Graham then went into space with UN Forces to battle against CB, but appearance was late as the majority of Celestial Being was destroyed. Final Battle: Vs Exia Graham arrived at the battle in his GN Flag and immediately charged towards Setsuna/Exia with a beam saber (much to Setsuna's surprise). Graham declared that he would take his revenge on Howard and Daryl. Both pilots were surprised to see each in their respective mobile suits. Graham told Setsuna that they were destined to fight each other. Graham was able to cut Exia's left arm off and went for a second strike. As Setsuna and Graham crossed swords, Graham continued talking to Setsuna. Graham told Setsuna, . Setsuna asked why Graham was fighting if that was the case and chopped through GN Flag's lower torso, cleaving off the right leg. Graham said that he was a soldier while decapitating Exia, but Setsuna said he was distorted and decapitated the GN Flag. Graham said that the concept of Gundams was distorted. Graham kicked Setsuna and he returned fire. Graham evaded this and said that only defeating him mattered, not the world. Setsuna asked if Graham felt the world was insignificant, and Graham said that he was the world's voice. and charged at Setsuna with his beam saber. Setsuna told Graham that he was wrapped up in his own ego and would cut through his distortion. Both of them charged at each other. In the final charge, both opponents severely damaged each other's suits, stabbing through each other's MS chest causing a massive red/green GN Particles explosion. The explosion did not kill Graham, but it did leave him with significant scars on his face and chest. The Code of Bushido Homer Katagiri, future commander of A-Laws, predicted that CB would eventually return. Graham went to Katagiri seeking vengance against the Gundams independently. Through Katagiri's teaching of the code of Bushido, Graham dedicated his life to becoming a modern samurai warrior. After his training was completed, he started to wear a mask as a reminder of the suffering that the Gundams caused him as well as to hide his own scars. With his mask and new outfit, officers began to call Graham Mister Bushido, a name that he hated but accepted. Path to Restore Honor Four years since his major battle with Celestial Being, Graham continued to maintain his Mr. Bushido identity with the Federation and was given a license as a ranked Captain to do as he pleases. After hearing of the Gundam's return, he felt excited for the chance to face them again. Fortunate Duel Upon learning about the whereabouts of CB and A-Laws on the hunt for them, Graham decided to drop-in to observe their search & destroy mission. While on board the leading A-Laws MS sea carrier, Major Lindt requested Mr. Bushido to be part of their forces while they hunted for Ptolemy 2. While they began an undersea assault operation, Graham remained a silent observer. While Major Lindt was handling his underwater operation against Celestial Being, Graham sortied on standby. Major Lindt's operation failed and Setsuna/GN-0000 00 Gundam was about to destroy the carrier's command deck when Graham/GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake intervened by ramming into 00 Gundam. Graham recognized the pilot's combat style and was happy he was fighting against Setsuna. Graham felt fortunate for a chance to redeem his honor through fighting 00/Setsuna. Graham's rematch was cut short with the sudden appearance of Katharon interference. Colonel Mannequin thought the situation was disadvantageous and he was ordered for a tactical retreat with their carrier. Middle East Conflict Eliminating Katharon A-Laws received a reliable tip on the location of Katharon. Mr. Bushido, along with a squadron of GN-XIII's, went to destroy Katharon. While reaching their destination, Mr. Bushido expressed no interest in partaking in exterminating Katharon and flew off against his commanding officer's dismay. Even though Celestial Being appeared, Mr. Bushido never intercepted them. It was speculated that he either returned to the MS sea carrier or didn't care to intervene because Setsuna/00 was absent in the battlefield (delivering Marina Ismail to Azadistan). Incomplete Duel Celestial Being was discovered to be traveling outside the borders of the Rub'al Khali desert along the coastline. Mr. Bushido/Sakigake along with his GN-XIII squadron went to intercept the Gundams. To Mr. Bushido's delight, he was given orders to handle 00 Gundam. As the Gundams engaged them in battle, Mr. Bushido/Sakigake charged in with his beam saber to face Setsuna/00. Mr. Bushido/Sakigake fared well against Setsuna/00, even feeling insulted that Setsuna/00 wasn't going all out on him. After cutting down 00 Gundam's GN Shield, Setsuna/00 executed Trans-Am. Mr. Bushido was glad to see Setsuna/00 giving his best against him. Setsuna/00 used high speed combat to flank his position and chop off Sakigake's left MS arm. Mr. Bushido/Sakigake attempted to evade, but was about to be finished by Setsuna/00 when the Gundam broke down. Mr. Bushido/Sakigake didn't want to finish off a helpless opponent and left him off. His squad leader was displeased with his actions, but he simply ignored him. Acquiring Masurao While A-Laws was busy preparing an underwater assault against Celestial Being, Mr. Bushido headed off to MSWΛD. Graham came to congratulate Billy in his recent promotion to chief of MS development and was interested in testing out a prototype twin drive MS. Billy asked for his preferences for the prototype and Graham asked for the greatest speed and sword. Billy was wondering why Graham wasn't part of his unit as they are about to take on Celestial Being, Graham said he wasn't interested in ship-to-ship battles. Eventually, the prototype, which was christened the GNX-U02X Masurao, was completed. Billy stated that it bore a resemblance to the Flag and was tuned for high speed combat. Additionally, he had installed a new system based on handwritten notes from Eifman's home. Trans-Am Rematch When a number of renegade regular soldiers take control of the African elevator, Graham guessed that Celestial Being would be there. His instincts proved this when Setsuna/00 Raiser turned up, believing that Ptolemy 2 would be there also. Graham/Masurao charged at his foe, though Setsuna didn't have time for it. Graham then revealed his secret surprise: Trans-Am. He charges again, only for Setsuna/00 Raiser to put up a GN Field before activating Trans-Am, pleasing Graham. They engaged in a high speed duel, constantly clashing with each other. As they were engaged in a sword lock, a particle beam forces them break it off. Graham looked to his right and saw Ptolemy 2 and the other Gundams providing support. With his particles nearly spent, Graham swore that they would duel again. Observing Battles Four months after the tragic Break Pillar incident, Graham's Marurao was upgraded with a new Blue System. He watched from afar as the Gundams capture Revive Revival. He was completely unimpressed with Setsuna's lack of passion for battle. Honorable Duel at Eclipse Innovator leader Ribbons Almark later assigned Graham and Warrant Officer Louise Halevy to travel to colony Eclipse at L5. Lieutenant Andrei Smirnov requested to join them in his Ahead; Graham doubted he'd be able to keep up. Once Graham arrived at Eclipse in his new GNX-Y901TW Susanowo, which posessed an even greater resemblance to the Flag, he held his sword to 00 Raiser, which was on standby with Saji Crossroad waiting for Setsuna. As Setsuna observed the Susanowo, Graham called out to hm and told him that it had been a long time. Setsuna could see Mr. Bushido's unmasked face and realized it was the same man he faced in Azadistan and in space 4-5 years ago. Graham continued, "Boy, if you do not desire the loss of your Gundam, then do as I wish." Setsuna asked, "What do you want?" Graham answered, "An earnest duel!" Setsuna was surprised by his request. Graham continued, "I, Graham Aker, hereby challenge you to a duel!" Setsuna asked if he wanted to settle their score that badly. Graham answered, Setsuna wondered about destiny as Graham retorted, "Are you ridiculing my whims? However, do not forget that the Gundam were the ones who first performed the armed interventions!" Setsuna reflected that Celestial Being had distorted Graham and accepted the challenge. Graham told Setsuna to go all out as he quickly boarded 00 Raiser and prepared for combat. Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' and Graham/Susanowo charged at each other and locked in the middle with their swords. Their fight was evenly matched and the two pulled away, Setsuna noticed Louise Halevy/GNMA-0001V Regnant had appeared and engaged Nena Trinity/GNW-003 Gundam Throne Drei nearby. Setsuna wanted Louise to stop as he sensed her hatred and desire for bloody retribution, but was distracted by the duel. Graham/Susanowo charged in and reminded Setsuna to go all out. As Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' and Graham/Susanowo locked swords again, Setsuna saw Louise/Regnant destroy Nena/Drei. The two were still evenly matched in melee combat and both began a beam fire shoot out on the surface of Eclipse. Graham/Susanowo fired the Tri-Punisher, but Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' blocked and flew upwards. Both combatants resumed two-sworded melee combat. As they fought, Graham commented over the com, "I lived on...I lived on for this! Even if I was reduced to being the Innovators' puppet...! My code of honor is...!" Graham/Susanowo charged again and clashed blades in the middle with Setsuna/''00 Raiser''. Setsuna retorted, "Going this far..!" Both of them broke away and realized they were still at a stalemate and both engaged their respective Trans-Am Systems for high particle charged melee combat. From a distance, the two appeared as two burning lights of teal and golden-orange wisps clashing at each other in a spiral manner. Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' and Graham/Susanowo repeatedly charged each other, clashed with their swords, broke off and repeated their attack upwards four times. In between their combat, the concentration of GN particles created the quantum effect and sent both pilot's minds to the quantum ethereal plane. Even though still physically in combat, the two were able to communicate on a telepathic level. Graham wondered, "Have I already reached Nirvana?" Setsuna answered, "No. This is where the quanta gather." Graham asked, "What nonsense is that!?" Setsuna indirectly replied, "I feel like I understand. Why Aeolia Schenberg created the Gundams. No, why he created the GN Drives." Graham reacted in with surprise. Setsuna continued, Graham asked, "Transform? That's the zenith which you have realized?" Graham then reflected and said, "Boy, you once said that I was distorted. But even you can do nothing but fight. That is why I wish to do battle with you!" Both Setsuna and Graham returned to reality and continued their duel, locked blades in Trans-Am melee combat. Graham continued to say, "And reach the zenith which comes with that victory!" Setsuna asked, "You only desire victory!?" Graham retorted, "What else is there!?" Setsuna answered, "It's obvious!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' then put his swords together to form GN Sword Staff to strike. Setsuna continued to say, "Then link to the future...tomorrow!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' then struck his weapon upwards and Graham/Susanowo deflected the attack and disarmed Setsuna/''00 Raiser''. Graham/Susanowo dashed a meter up-close to Setsuna/''00 Raiser'', poised for the final victorious blow. As Graham was about to make his winning move, he apologised to Setsuna for killing him. Graham/Susanowo made a vertical downward chop against 00 Raiser and Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' countered by clapping onto Susanowo's GN Katana Staff and broke his blade. Setsuna then cried out, "This is my battle!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' pulled out both his beam sabers and stabbed through both the shoulders of Susanowo, knocking the unit out of Trans-Am and revealing its Flag head. Susanowo overloaded and Graham could no longer engage in MS combat. Graham opened the hatch and disembarked from Susanowo as Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' pointed his left beam saber blade at Graham. Graham cried out, "Fight me boy! Kill me and let me see you claim victory with those hands!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' deactivated both Trans-Am and his beam saber. Graham shockingly asked, "Why!? Why don't you land the finishing blow!?" Setsuna answered, Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' departed and left Graham stranded near Eclipse, contemplating committing seppuku or living on. Graham chose to live and presumably was rescued by an A-Laws MS carrier. ESF Reform & Peacetime When it was revealed to the world of the A-Laws' misuse of power, the reformed ESF dissolved A-Laws and resolves to make many reforms. Graham, having given up his mask and alias as Mr. Bushido, meets up with Billy at an undisclosed lab. ELS Conflict Two years has passed, Graham is now part of a new division of the ESF Army, the Sol Braves Squadron and pilots the GNX-Y903VW Brave (Commander Test Type). Falling Debris On the Union's Orbital Elevator, Billy had called Graham to talk about the production of the new Brave units, a potential alternative to the GN-X series. Graham then asked about the falling debris (which had been destroyed by Descartes Shaman and the Gadelaza). Billy thought it was strange that the fragments didn't burn up in Earth's atmosphere, and Graham had heard that Brigadier General Kati Mannequin ordered a investigation performed. Graham then asked for Billy to contact him with any further information and he complied. Graham told himself that Billy was a friend to rely on. Covering Celestial Being The Earth Sphere Federation government eventually discovered the debris was actually a metallic lifeform known as a Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifter or ELS. The ELS were attracted to the people on Earth who had high quantum brainwave latency and sent a large force from a black hole in Jupiter's Big Red Spot to arrive at Earth in 95 days. The ESF responded by sending a force that included Innovator Descartes Shaman and Vice Admiral Kim. The plan was to use Descartes quantum brainwaves to force the ELS to alter their trajectory away from Earth. However, the plan backfired and the ESF battlefleet was lost. Celestial Being soon joined the fray, and Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei resolved to understand the aliens instead of fighting them. However, this attempt left him brain damaged and comatose, and also led to the sacrifice of Tieria Erde and his CB-002 Raphael Gundam along with the GN-008RE Seravee Gundam II. GN-010 Gundam Zabanya (piloted by Lockon Stratos) and GN-011 Gundam Harute (co-piloted by Allelujah Haptism and Marie Parfacy) retreated with the 00 Raiser's cockpit block towards their mothership, the CBS-74 Ptolemaios 2 Kai using the Trans-Am System. However, the ELS caught up to the retreating duo as Hallelujah and Soma diverted most of the ELS away from Zabanya. Just when Zabanya's Trans-Am ran out, the Solbraves shot down a large ELS attempting to assimilate the suit. Graham Aker led his team to defend Celestial Being, using bait tactics to destroy large clusters of ELS. However, the remaining ELS gather in a circle and CB's tactical forecaster, Sumeragi Lee Noriega, radioed the Solbraves to inform them to meet up at a certain point to pick up the GNT-0000 00 Qan[T]. Visiting Setsuna While Setsuna lay in a comatose state within Ptolemy's ICU, Graham boarded the ship to check on him. He encountered Feldt Grace who had been watching over Setsuna. He told her that people keep searching for mutual understanding, but that people would still be looking to find the future, regardless of the ELS and wondered if that was Setsuna's goal. Feldt asked who he was, and Graham replied, Graham then received a call telling him that more ELS had arrived in the solar system, including a ELS planetoid that rivaled the Moon. Graham later left the Ptolemy and returned to the Artorious. Final Battle & Death While the Artorious traveled to the ''Absolute Defense Line in Trans-Am. Graham gave a speech to the pilots of the Solbraves, telling them that they would be putting their lives on the line and ordered them not to die. The Solbraves acknowledged and launched. The Solbraves joined the battle to defend Earth quickly and saw that the ELS were combining to form GN-XIVs. Graham and his men blasted through some of the ELS, but lost Yagan Crow in the process. After mourning his loss, Graham witnessed two cruisers being assimilated and converted into ELS. As the battle began to look bleak for the ESF, Zabanya and Harute joined the battle, but the ELS still overwhelmed their combined forces. When Setsuna awoke from his coma and launched in the 00 QanT, Graham was excited for his return. During the battle, Setsuna, wanting to understand the ELS instead of fight them, was attacked by a group of ELS GN-XIV. Graham and the remaining Solbraves fought them off, as Graham told Setsuna over the com, Graham and his remaining men activate Trans-Am and clear a path for Setsuna, with Graham telling the Meister to live on and take hold of the future. Setsuna continued on as the Solbraves continued to fight. Eventually, Graham's Brave was grabbed by a ELS GN-XIV with the assimilation process beginning to reach his own body as well. With nothing left to lose, Graham decided that the future of humanity was something he would fight for to the bitter end, and charged at the ELS planetoid, aiming for a slowly regenerating hole that had been sliced open by the 00 QanT. As Graham set his Brave's Trans-Am to its emergency overload, he yelled out his last words: Graham slipped through just as the plates on the planetoid sealed, before his Brave self-destructed and blew open a hole from the inside. His sacrifice gave Setsuna the chance to enter the ELS superstructure and use the Quantum System to commence the dialogues with the ELS, ceasing their attacks and bringing mutual understanding. Relationships Celestial Being ;Setsuna F. Seiei :From the very beginning, Graham became obsessed with Gundam Exia because of its outstanding performance during Celestial Being's first intervention. From that point on, Graham made constant exertions to face Exia/Setsuna every time possible. Graham's obsession with Exia went so far that he self-described his feelings towards them as love. :During the events of Season 2, Graham becomes obsessed with defeating Setsuna, seeing him as the person who destroyed his pride as a Flag Fighter. After dueling and losing to Setsuna at L5, Setsuna tells Graham that he must live on and fight to claim his own future instead of throwing his life away in defeat.However ironically Graham never appeared to learn Setsuna's name (Hinted as Graham always calls Setsuna, Young Boy in Season 1 and Young Lad/ Man in Season 2) Earth Sphere Federation ;Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations :;Billy Katagiri ::Billy and Graham were stationed together at MSWAD while Billy was the chief technical advisor. From their interactions with each other, it can be said that the two have been good friends for some time while maintaining a professional relationship. Billy has also personally tuned Graham's mobile suits, creating machines such as the GN Flag, the Masurao, and the Susanowo. :;Ralph Eifman ::Though they are not close, Professor Eifman personally tuned Graham's Flag to better fight the Gundams. Eifman's custom tuning then spread to a group of Flags known as the OverFlags. :;Sleg Sletcher ::Sleg was Graham's superior officer during his early days in the Union Army. On hard times, Sleg offered his daughter's hand in marriage to Graham, hoping that his payroll as an officer would lead her to a better life. Sleg was also a test pilot for Belfactory's Union Blast. Unfortunately, Sleg would commit suicide while piloting the Blast, giving Graham a promotion. It can be inferred that Sleg had a great deal of respect for Graham. Picture Gallery Graham Aker.jpg|Graham Aker in Union Pilot Suit w/o Helmet. 38b.png|Graham in suit. (Season 1) A.D. 2307 38.jpg|Graham in Union Uniform. (Season 1) A.D. 2307 38a.png|Graham in Union Pilot Suit (Season 1) A.D. 2307 Graham Aker 2307.jpg|Graham (27, A.D. 2307) Grahamcoa1.png|Graham's early coat of arms Grahamcoa2.png|Graham's coat of arms 0ndbyelovelessvikkis.jpg|Mr Bushido, Graham Aker's alter ego (Illustration by Yun Kouga) 39.jpg|Graham (Mr.Bushido) in A-Laws Uniform w/ Bushido Attire. (Season 2) A.D. 2312 Mr.Bushido|''Mr. Bushido (32, A.D. 2312) Graham Aker 2312.jpg|Graham (32, A.D. 2312) c12.jpg|Graham in ESF Uniform (Movie) A.D. 2314 c12a.png|Graham in ESF Pilot Suit (Movie) A.D. 2314 Graham_2314.jpg|''Graham'' (34, A.D. 2314) GrahanAkermovie.png|Screenshot of "Gundam 00: A Wakening Of The Trailblazer" showing Graham. Death Graham.JPG|Graham assimilated ELS Graham Aker - Magazine Scan.jpg|Graham Aker - Magazine Article vlcsnap-2011-02-28-13h00m11s167.jpg|Graham relieved to see Setsuna's arrival (movie) Trivia *If a player made Graham pilot a specific mobile suit in SD Gundam G Generation Wars, and performs an attack, Graham will announce the mobile suit's attack with a version with his name on it. Some of the example mobile suits are GF13-017NJII God Gundam and GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei, which attacks Graham calls out as "God Graham Finger" and "Graham Fangs", repectively. * In crossover storyline of SD Gundam G Generation Wars, Graham only appear as enemy in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and develop rivalship against Kira Yamato's ZGMF-X10A Freedom. * In Super Robot Wars Z2 Saisei-hen, Graham has a certain relationship with Code Geass' character, Kyoshiro Todoh. Graham even consider Todoh as someone who could be considered as the "Ultimate Samurai" in the game, despite Todoh was not portrayed as person that could be considered superior in his original story. References External Links *Graham Aker on Wikipedia *Graham/Bushido on Gundam 00 Official (Japanese) Category:Anno Domini characters